Good morning friend ☀️
This morning I went for a serene run with my father.
The cool breeze while running through the woods refreshed my soul.
I hope you find something to refresh your soul this weekend.
Today's question comes from a newsletter writer.
Q: Where do you find the discipline to do a daily email? I find it hard enough to do mine every two weeks...
A: I write every single day. I don't give myself an option not to skip.
Some may say it's easy for me to find time—someone who is not married (I will be after June 19th), has no kids and doesn't run a business.
But, I do work full time, have taken 15 credits of classes for the last two years, freelance 5-10 hours a week, read 45 minutes daily, and work out almost every day.
So I'm by no means a bum with hours laying around.
But I've prioritized writing every single day for 30 minutes.
And before I know it, I've written for almost a year straight. Then, I'm committed to not breaking the chain.
This practice of not missing a day is known as the "Seinfeld Strategy."
A journalist once caught Jerry Seinfeld backstage and asked if he had any tips for "young comics."
"He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day.
He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker. He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day.
After a few days, you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job is to not break the chain."
As a marketer, writing is a core competency.
But I would implore you—no matter if you're going to be a comic or a teacher—that writing is the gateway to profound development and should become a practice of yours.
I've also found writing to be a process to go deeper within myself.
The more I write, the more I understand myself. And the more I understand myself, the better I am.
And isn't that we all strive for; better.
If you want to make something a habit, like writing, start today.
And don't break the chain.
🧠 // JO